Society in general continues to attach a stigma to hair loss. As a result, men and women who suffer from hair loss often experience self-consciousness relating to the condition. Many methods of "curing" hair loss have been disclosed in the literature and several products claiming to regulate hair growth are currently marketed.
One approach for growing hair involves the much publicized use of minoxidil (Rogaine.RTM.)(6-(1-piperidinyl)-2,4-pyrimidinediamine 3-oxide), a potent antihypertensive agent, as a hair growth promoting agent (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,461,461; 3,973,061; 3,464,987; and 4,139,619). Unfortunately, not all people respond to monoxidil and the efficacy level is limited in those individuals who do exhibit a response.
Finasteride (Propecia.RTM.) is another currently marketed product for promoting hair growth. See EP 823436; U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,643; WO 97/15564; and WO 97/15558. Unfortunately, as with minoxidil, not all people respond to finesteride and the efficacy is limited in those people who do exhibit a response. Moreover, the use of finesteride has been associated with reduced libido, teratagenic effects and other side effects in certain individuals.
Another approach for "curing" hair loss involves a procedure of weaving synthetic or natural hair strands into the remaining hair strands of the subject. Such a procedure is time-consuming, expensive and requires follow-up re-weavings as the weaves loosen and/or the subject's existing hair strands grow. Furthermore, such a procedure does not cure hair loss, but merely masked the condition.
Another approach for treating hair loss is the use of hair plugs. This procedure involves the transplantation of terminal hair follicles from regions of normal hair growth on the subject's scalp to regions of thinning or no hair growth on the scalp. This procedure is time consuming, expensive and can be painful. Furthermore, the transplanted plugs, at least in the early stages following transplantation, produce an unnatural look to the scalp.
Thus, there is a need for an easily administered, efficacious agent for treating hair loss in a mammal, which agent has little or no undesirable side effects.